Download a sample - David C Cook

T H E R E N O V A T I O N 2 3
Ethan nodded and grabbed a handful of pretzel sticks from the bowl
on the table. The other booths had similar bowls.
“Close game,” he said as he chewed.
“Those guys were good,” Chase said as he arranged the pretzel sticks
on the table, making a series of squares and triangles. “We were lucky.
That foul ball Elliot caught saved us.”
“No, you played pretty well too. I think you had ’em the whole game.”
Chase scowled as only a teenager who loves and hates the same
moment can scowl. Ethan knew Chase loved the praise but had to deny it
in public.
A papery wisp of music filtered into the room from the jukebox in
the tavern. Depending on the time of day, the music could vary greatly.
In the afternoon, it might be a polka or an old standard from the fifties.
At dusk, the crowd usually chose country and western. And toward midnight,
the music was straight rock ’n’ roll, with the emphasis on metal.
Ethan often wondered if they changed bartenders for each crowd, or
if the same fellow had to endure such radical shifts in styles.
The hamburgers appeared, coupled with a larger platter of cheese
fries—French fries drenched in some sort of yellowy cheese topping.
Ethan abandoned any health concerns when they dined at McCort’s. He
knew the food must be bad for him because it tasted so good.
Chase poured a fist-sized dollop of ketchup on his plate, for dunking
both the cheese fries and his hamburger, usually before every bite. The
two ate in silence, pausing only briefly to sip at their drinks or to grab
another napkin from the chrome dispenser on the table.
Finally, Chase breathed a great sigh and pushed his empty plate to the
side. “Good burger.”
Ethan smiled in agreement. “Want dessert?”
Chase shook his head. “I’m pretty full. And kinda tired.”
Ethan reached for the check and peered close, examining the figures
and mentally doing the calculations. It was always the same amount.
Chase would have rolled his eyes had he been with a friend.
As Ethan was reaching for his wallet, Chase cleared his throat. “Who
was that lady?”